Well it's my first entry, let me introduce myself before I continue to bore. I am a late 20's Swans fan and have been a regular down the Vetch/Liberty for nearly 16 years. Been through the bad and the worse times, with a tiny smidging of decent times between.
Anyway............Let us start with the season beginning. An extremely busy start to the pre season being linked to every decent player within the lower divisions, and ending up with ermmmmmm none of them. Oh wait Pratley had come in for 100k and seemed like a decent signing. That was as good as it got until the double capture of Amankwaah and Butler, with some media disasters by the chairman Comical Jenks (he would have been great as Saddam Husseins press correspondent). Johnson and Brown were "certainties" and Leacock had "signed", so it seems that a certain degree of reserve was kept for the "actual" signings made of Amankwaah, Butler and then "we are not in any talks with Wrexham" Lawrence.
Despite missing first choice targets to the pulling power of the Championship, it is felt that all 4 players could add strength to the squad. Unfortunately, none of these add strength to the one position seriously needed.....left back. The loss of Ricketts didn't seem to be a huge problem for 300k as, to be honest, last season he looked very ordinary for an international. Oh how wrong could one be when saying "decent money for him, he won't be missed". Even though he was not the most consistent of lb's he did offer something our cover in Austin and Williams do not, defensive stability. Williams is an exciting player to watch, in the fact he uses "jedi" passing (remember the scene in star wars with the millenium falcon where Luke dons the helmet to deflect the lazer shots, well i believe that is how Williams (and other players recently) decide on passes - eyes down and hope for the best or be guided by "the force"), and that he could pick a fight in a morgue.....major temper issues. Austin on the other hand has lost his pace and can be exposed by pacey wingers. So as you can tell a lb is definitely required for stability.
On the whole footballing wise the new players seemed to have settled well, Pratley doing the job Martinez was doing, only not passing the ball forwards, or tracking back as a player of his position needs to do (but ask fans who played "outstanding" and they pick him....errrmmm they obviously see things in his game I don't). Amankwaah seems to be bedding in better after a poor start, although still feel more comfortable with Tate at right back (when he isn't suspended). Lawrence seems comfortable although worrying that he and Big Willy seem to be on different audible ranges and like to tangle themselves up like a swedish porno when deaing with high balls. Let's hope last night's injury isn't a serious one. Butler seems to blow hot and cold, pace skill and willing to run at his man (definitely a trait I like to see in a player) but like his playing nemesis, mcleod, drifts out of the game all too often and can look disinterested. Oakes, well we can only wait, although between him and Lawrence they could put all four of their legs together and Bayo's right peg would still be thicker.
I will end this rant by commenting on the matches themselves. Some might say shocking, slow start to the season. I would say shocking, slow carry on from last season. The actual style of play being adopted by Jackett of direct play does not, and has not worked since he introduced it January time. We seem to play our best football when we chase the game and play our natural game, pasing and quick movement in at chest and feet and not the head (fans will know, the last 20 mins or so of a game). If this desperation technique of using the players natural game was adopted from the start, teams would be quaking, instead of lapping up the long ball.
On a personal note, Jackett has done excellent for the club, driving us on to promotion to FAW cups, and the league trophy, but we have definitelty lost the "WAY" recently (return soon Darren....your a class act). I feel and I know I am not alone, that Jackett has taken us as far as he can and a change may be needed to push on that little further the players and the club know they can. I hope I am proved wrong and Jackett can kick us on, but since January there has been no plan B to follow up a defective plan A.
Swanjackal